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Dr Jane Kirkham

Research Fellow

Staff Member Details
Email: j.kirkham@ecu.edu.au
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9721-2813

Dr Jane Kirkham is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the School of Education

Background

Jane is an Educational and Developmental Psychologist formerly employed by the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia (AISWA) as a Senior Psychologist providing psychological services at independent schools in Western Australia, including leading the AISWA Wellbeing and Mental Health in Schools Pilot Project. Jane has an extensive teaching background with experience in mainstream, gifted, and inclusive education at primary and secondary levels in Australia, United Kingdom, and in South Africa.

Jane has recently been awarded a PhD from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Western Australia where she is now an Honorary Research Fellow. In her PhD she investigated motivational factors that underlie gendered decision-making about mathematics courses in senior secondary school students. Her research interests lie in the motivation, engagement, and the wellbeing of school students and teachers.

Professional associations

  • 2021 – Australian Psychological Society, APS, College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists (Fellow)
  • 2018 – American Psychological Association, APA (International Affiliate)
  • 2004 – Australian Psychological Society, APS (Member)

Awards and recognitions

  • 2021 – Fogarty Foundation Postgraduate Student Research Prize (Western Australian Institute for Educational Research)
  • 2020 – University of Western Australia Prize in Education (Western Australian Institute for Educational Research)
  • 2017 – Outstanding Professional Service Award (Professional Teaching Council of Western Australia)
  • 2007 – Outstanding Teacher of Academically Gifted Students (University of New South Wales, Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre - GERRIC)
  • 2006 – Outstanding Teacher of Academically Gifted Students (University of New South Wales, Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre - GERRIC)

Research areas and interests

  • Systems-informed wellbeing practice in schools
  • Student and teacher wellbeing and mental health
  • Student motivation and engagement

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Western Australia, 2024.
  • Certificate Course in Gifted Education, The University of New South Wales, 2007.
  • Master of Education, South Africa, 1996.
  • Diploma in Education, United Kingdom, 1991.
  • Advanced Diploma In Special Needs In Education, England, 1988.
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Education, United Kingdom, 1984.
  • Bachelor of Psychology with Hons, Wales, 1983.

Research Outputs

Journal Articles

  • Kirkham, J. (2023). Envisaging a Whole-School Approach to Wellbeing: The ‘Wellbeing Tree’. Education Research and Perspectives, 50(Article in press), 35 pages.
  • Kirkham, J., Chapman, E., Male, S. (2023). Measuring Motivation for Mathematics Course Choice in Secondary School Students: Interrelationships Between Cost and Other Situated Expectancy-Value Theory Components. Sage Open, 13(2), 16 pages. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231180671.

Journal Articles

  • Kirkham, J., Chapman, E. (2022). Gender, achievement level and sociocultural factors in the mathematics course choices of Year 10 students in Western Australia. The Australian Educational Researcher, 49(1), 97 - 114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-020-00425-5.

Journal Articles

  • Kirkham, J., Chapman, E. (2020). Gendered Decision-Making About Mathematics Courses: Contributions of Self-Perceptions, Domain-Perceptions, and Sociocultural Factors. Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, 10(1), 43 - 59. https://doi.org/10.5539/jedp.v10n1p43.
  • Kirkham, J., Chapman, E., Wildy, H. (2020). Factors considered by Western Australian Year 10 students in choosing Year 11 mathematics courses. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 32(2020), 719-741. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-019-00277-y.
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